JONES
,
SirHENRY
(
1852
-
1922
),
philosopher
;
b. at
Llangernyw, Denbs.
30 Nov. 1852
, the son of a
shoemaker
. Apprenticed to his father at 12 years of age, he had an arduous struggle for education, but later qualified as certificated
teacher
at
Bangor Normal College
and for two years was
master of an elementary school
at
Brynaman, Glam.
He then decided to enter the
Calvinistic Methodist ministry
, won a
Dr. Williams scholarship
, and, in
1875
, entered
Glasgow University
, where
EdwardCaird
had a dominating influence on his thought and career. Graduating in
1878
, he won the
Clark fellowship
, which gave him four years at
Oxford
and in
Germany
. In
1882
he m.
AnnieWalker
, of
Kilbirnie
.

Appointed
lecturer in philosophy
at
Aberystwyth
in
1882
, he became
professor
at
Bangor
in
1884
, at
S. Andrews
in
1891
, and at
Glasgow
, as
Caird
's successor, in
1894
. An outstanding
teacher
, his doctrine was essentially
Caird
's version of
Hegelian
idealism, but the
Bible
and
the great
poets
also contributed to his thought and style. To him philosophy was a way of life, a faith to be taught and accepted. Moral values were the basis of his creed: he stressed man's infinitude as well as his finitude, and viewed the world-process as the progressive realization of an all-inclusive God of Love, ever moving and yet perfect. His writings were many and varied, the most important being
Browning as a Philosophical and Religious Teacher
(
1891
),
Lotze
(
1895
), and
A Faith that Enquires
(
1922
) —
Gifford Lectures
delivered at
Glasgow
in
1920-1
.

Profoundly
interested in social affairs
and an ardent
liberal
, he founded the
Glasgow Civic Society
.
Educational reform in Wales
owes much to his unstinted effort; he was a leader in the movement which resulted in the
Intermediate Education Act
(
1889
), and after the establishment of the
Welsh University
he originated the plan of a ‘penny rate’ levied by the
County Councils
for higher education; he also served on various commissions and committees. Despite an operation for
cancer
in
1913
, he actively supported the national effort during the war, and visited the
U.S.A.
in
1918
. He d. at
Tighnabruaich
,
Argyll
,
4 Feb. 1922
.

He gained many honours: hon.
LL.D. (S. Andrews)1891
,
F.B.A.
(
1904
), hon.
D.Litt. (Wales)1905
,
knighted
(
1912
),
C.H.
and
Cymmrodorion medal
(
1922
). Of his six children, two died in youth, and one son fell in the
war of 1914-18
. In
1934
a memorial fund was instituted to acquire and maintain his birthplace at
Llangernyw
, and the balance of the fund was used to establish an annual prize in moral and political philosophy at
Aberystwyth
,
Bangor
,
Coleg Harlech
,
S. Andrews
, and
Glasgow
.